Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

लौहं च रक्षसां नाम भूतभव्यभवोद्भवम् । गुह्यकाः सीसजं लिंगं नाम योगं जपंति च

Transliteration

lauhaṃ ca rakṣasāṃ nāma bhūtabhavyabhavodbhavam | guhyakāḥ sīsajaṃ liṃgaṃ nāma yogaṃ japaṃti ca

Translation

يعبدُ الرّاكشاسا لِنْغًا من الحديد، ويُناجون الاسم «بهوتَبهافْيَبهافودْبهافا» (مصدر كائنات الماضي والمستقبل والحاضر). ويعبدُ الغوهيَكا لِنْغًا من الرصاص، ويُرتّلون أيضًا الاسم «يوغا».

Word by Word

• lauham: iron (made of iron)
• lauham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lauha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; here as object/apposition

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• rakṣasām: of the rākṣasas
• rakṣasām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• nāma: name; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; indeclinable-like usage ‘named/as the name’

• bhūta-bhavya-bhava-udbhavam: arising from past, future, and present
• bhūta-bhavya-bhava-udbhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhavya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘भूतभव्यभवस्य उद्भवः’

• guhyakāḥ: the Guhyakas
• guhyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• sīsajam: made of lead
• sīsajam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sīsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘सीसात् जातम्/सीसस्य’

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• nāma: named; as the name
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; naming particle-like usage

• yogam: Yoga (as a name/mantra)
• yogam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• japanti: they recite
• japanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default attribution

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic assembly: fierce Rākṣasas before a dark iron liṅga, while luminous Guhyakas in a hidden grove worship a dull-grey lead liṅga; both streams of mantra rise as visible syllabic light—‘Bhūtabhavyabhavodbhava’ and ‘Yoga’.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasas
• Guhyakas
• Śiva
• Bhūtabhavyabhavodbhava
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the transcendent source of time’s threefold flow (past-present-future), and even varied classes of beings approach Him through disciplined japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is stated; the focus is on cosmic theology and the diversity of Śiva-upāsanā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (chanting) of Śiva’s names—especially ‘Bhūtabhavyabhavodbhava’ and ‘Yoga’—while worshipping the corresponding liṅga forms.